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Toy Rabbit

Free knitting pattern for a toy rabbit.

Toy RabbitToy Rabbit's Tail

This toy rabbit is a major reworking of a toy my mother made for me when I was 3 years old in 1973. The original is very large and short so I decided to design a smaller toy, taller in proportion to the original and easy to knit.

The second picture shows the placement for the tail.

Measurements

Height: 35cm, 13 3/4in

Materials

1 x 50gm ball 8 ply (light worsted) Cleckheaton Tapestry 100% wool. 80m/ 105 yards per ball.

1 x 50gm ball light blue 8 ply wool. 80m/ 105 yards per ball.

75gm off-white 8 ply yarn.

100gm Patons Magnum 8 ply Courtelle in brown. 310m per 100gm.

4 small white shirt buttons.

Scrap of black yarn for face.

Approx 250gm toy filling, your mileage may vary.

Tension

26st and 35rows to 10cm/ 4in over st st.

Body: Using 3mm needles and light blue cast on 82sts and work 25 rows st st.

Next row: P1, P2tog, P35, P2tog, P to last 3 sts, P2tog, P1 (79sts)

Change to 4mm needles and dark blue variegated yarn. Work 34 rows garter slip st as follows:

Rows 1 and 2: K

Rows 3 and 4: Change to white, (K1, Sl1 purlways) to last st, K1

Rep these 4 rows until you have worked 34 rows in the slip st pattern ending with row 2.

Change to 3mm needles and light blue. Next row: K1, M1, K39, M1, K to last st, M1, K1

Knit 9 more rows garter st. Change to brown yarn.

Work 26 rows st st without shaping.

Shape for top of head:

1st row: K1, (K2tog, K16, SSK), 4 times, K1

2nd and all WS rows: P

3rd row: K1, (K2tog, K14, SSK), 4 times, K1

5th row: K1, (K2tog, K12, SSK), 4 times, K1

Cont dec in this fashion until you have 42 sts left

P 1 row

Next row; K1, K2tog to last st, K1

Break yarn, leaving a long end, thread through sts and gather tightly.
Fasten off securely and sew back seam using mattress st.

Base:

Using 3mm needles and light blue, cast on 14sts.

Work in st st and inc 1 st at each end of every row until you have 34 sts. Work without shaping for a further 22 rows.

Dec 1 st at each end of every row until 14sts rem. Cast off.

Feet: (Make 2)

Using 3mm needles and brown cast on 14sts. Work 14 rows st st.

1st dec row: K1, K2tog, K to last 3 sts, SSK, K1

Next row: P

Next row: Repeat 1st decrease row.

Next row: P

1st inc row: K1, M1, K to last st, M1, K1

Next row: P

Next row: rep 1st increase row.

Next row: P

Work 14 rows st st without shaping. Cast off

Arms: (Make 2)

Using 3mm needles and variegated yarn cast on 32sts and K 20 rows.

Change to brown and work 10 rows st st.

1st dec row: K1, (K2tog) to last st, K1 (17sts)

Next and all WS rows: P

3rd row: K2, (K2tog) to last st, K1 (10sts)

5th row: K1, (K2tog) 4 times, K1, break yarn and thread through rem sts,
gather up tightly and fasten off.

Ears: (Make four. Two in brown and two in white)

Using 4mm needles and brown yarn cast on 10sts and work 20 rows st st.

Next row and foll alt rows: K1, SSK, K to last 3 sts, K2tog, K1

Next row: P

Rep last 2 rows until 4 sts remain. K1, K2tog, K1

P3tog, fasten off.

Bow Tie:

Using 4mm needles and light blue cast on 18sts and K 14 rows. Cast off.

Cardigan Band

Using 3mm needles and variegated yarn cast on 80sts. Work 6 rows K1, P1 ribbing. Cast off.

Making Up: Seams are mattress st unless otherwise stated.

Fill rabbit body firmly, but not too tightly, until filling is level with bottom (not bulging over). Sew base into bottom opening, stuffing any loose corners as you sew.

Gather firmly on the row you changed from light blue to brown to form neck.

Take bow tie piece and using a length of yarn gather vertically up the middle and wrap yarn around several times to form bow tie shape. Sew to centre front of body in the middle of the light blue stripe.

Wrap cardigan band around body at the beginning of garter slip st section and join at the back. Secure neatly to body using an oversewn st.

Sew 4 shirt buttons down centre front.

Join side seams of feet, stuff firmly and sew closed. Attach to the front of the rabbit where shown in above image.

Sew side seams on arms and stuff firmly. Sew to sides of rabbit where shown. With a separate length of yarn gather around 1st row of brown to form wrists. Fasten off.

Join 1 white and 1 brown ear piece using mattress st around 2 long edges. Sew to top of head where shown in the image above. Repeat for other ear.

Embroider face with black yarn as shown.

Make a 9cm/ 3 1/2in pom-pom and attach to the rabbit at the back on the seam line.

Finished!


This pattern and all images on this page are Copyright © Sarah Bradberry July 1997. All rights reserved.